Firms welcome election certainty

Nottinghamshire and Derbsyhire Businesses will welcome the stability and certainty that a majority Government can provide, according to the East Midlands Chamber.

The Chamber met with a number of its member businesses at a roundtable event earlier today to watch the final seats come in and get some initial business reaction to the results of yesterday’s ballot.

The Conservative Government must now build on the economic progress that businesses here in the East Midlands have driven over the past five years

There was general agreement that a majority Government will be better for business than another coalition because of the additional certainty and stability it can provide.

There was also a common view that MPs from all parties should present a united view of the East Midlands to ensure the region doesn’t miss out on vital resources and funding needed to support infrastructure investment and drive job creation and economic growth.

Chamber President Liz Fothergill CBE will write to the new cohort of MPs across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire to congratulate them on their election and share the Chamber’s business manifesto*, which outlines the top priorities for Chamber members. These include measures to:

Place business at the centre of local growth

Deliver on the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs

Fix the link between education and the world of work

Reduce the cost of doing business

Support firms to succeed overseas

Chamber Chief Executive George Cowcher said: “The General Election ended with a clear result, perhaps unexpected, which will help to provide the stability and clarity that businesses need to move forward.

“The Conservative Government must now build on the economic progress that businesses here in the East Midlands have driven over the past five years. It needs to set the conditions to encourage a culture of entrepreneurism, where businesses can look to the rest of the world as a potential marketplace and where our young people leave school with the skills and qualities they need to set out on dynamic, rewarding careers.

“The Chamber is apolitical and has a proud track record of working constructively with its MPs locally and in Westminster to promote the needs of business and support growth for the East Midlands’ economy.

“Over the past five years, businesses in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire have demonstrated a robustness and tenacity that has marked the region out as a leader for UK growth. Over the course of the next Parliament, a number of key national and local issues will need to be addressed to ensure this growth can be balanced and secured for the long term.”